Famous Portrait Artists

A joke: "The Portrait":
A woman decided to have her portrait painted. She told the painter of the commission, "Paint me wearing diamond rings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, a ruby brooch, and a gold Rolex."
"But you aren't wearing any of those things," the painter replied.
"I know," the woman said. "It's in case I should die before my husband. I'm sure he will remarry right away, and I want his new wife to go crazy looking for the jewelry." Author unknown

This funny old joke rightly captures the essence of having a self-portrait painted. Portrait paintings freeze a person's image for eternity. Although, its the age of digital camera, with high definition image resolutions, nothing can reach the human touch in a portrait painting. Many painters have attempted to paint portraits, and have succeeded in creating real-life paintings. But there are only a few famous painters who have managed to portray the emotions attached to the subject. These beautiful and exemplary masterpieces have been painted by famous portrait artists.

Andrea del Sarto (1486 – 1531)
This Italian painter was known for his character paintings. Sarto's style of painting is marked by his interest in colors and use of light and shade. This is characterized by sophisticated informality and natural expression of emotions.

Famous Artwork by Andrea del Sarto

• Portrait of a Young Man
  
• Madonna of the Harpies
  
• Portrait of the Artist's Wife (Lucrezia di Baccio del Fede, the artist's wife)

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669 )
Rembrandt van Rijn, a Dutch painter, is known for his unorthodox use of lighting, and the disturbing erotic presentation of his subjects. Rembrandt painted portraits on a dark background, and illuminated the subjects in such a manner that they appeared almost three dimensional.

Famous Artwork by Rembrandt van Rijn

• A Bearded man in a Cap
  
• An elderly Man as Saint Paul
  
• Self Portrait, Open-Mouthed
  
• Aristotle with a Bust of Homer

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519 )
Perhaps one of the most famous artists who has patrons all over the world; Leonardo da Vinci is the ultimate genius who can be called 'Jack of all trades, and Master of all'. He was a painter, sculptor, draughtsman, architect, engineer, anatomist, physicist, astronomer,observer of life and a great thinker. This genius is one of the few artists who managed to bring together science and art.

Famous Artwork by Leonardo da Vinci

• Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
  
• The Last Supper
  
• Portrait of Ginevra de Benci
  
• The Virgin of the Rocks
  
• The Leonardo Cartoon

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Vincent van Gogh is probably the best Dutch painter, after Rembrandt. He used bold colors and focused on peasants and rural scenes. His fascination for the poor made them subjects of his earlier works. His style of painting was influenced by his contemporaries. He experimented with pointillism, a stilt in which many primary colored dots are painted closely together to form the illusion of rich color when seen from a distance. Vincent van Gogh moved to Arles, in the south of France in 1888, and established Studio of the South. He invited Paul Gauguin to his studio and the two exchanged self-portraits.

Famous Artwork by Vincent van Gogh

• Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear
  
• Dr. Paul Gachet
  
• The vase with 12 sunflowers
  
• The Red Vineyard

Henri Matisse (1869-1954 )
Henri Matisse loved to use bright, vivid colors and beautiful lines that made his paintings to look alive. He traveled a lot and was inspired by foreign places and people. He used to paint flowers, fruits and glassware. Henri loved to improve his art and began to use lighter and calmer colors with lots of decorative lines. Henri Matisse is also famous for sculpting and line drawings. He designed a chapel in 1948.

Famous Artwork by Henry Matisse

• Interior with a Phonograph
  
• Lorette with Tuban, Yellow jacket
  
• Anemones and Woman, harmony in Blue
  
• Conversation under the Olive Tree
  
• Storm in Nice

There are many famous portrait artists like Michelangelo Buonarroti, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Fransisco de Goya, Gutav Klimt, Andy Warhol, etc. who have breathed life in to the paintings they created. These renowned artists have given a new meaning to every stroke of paint. Each portrait artist had a unique style of their own that has added richness to art history. Each of their masterpieces are worth more than millions of dollars. As long as there are people who appreciate art, many talented artists will be born in eras to come.